Disposable container



July 1, 1969 E. R. BARNETT ET AL DISPOSABLE CONTAINER 7 h v M V w I I ls 1? E 2 a a I g I .i rvmvs R. BARNETT 1 as 1:, I $WILLARD L'BARNETZ;

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,452,898 DISPOSABLE CONTAINER Eugene R. Barnett, 6268 Windsor Drive 46219, and Willard L. Barnett, 3367 W. Michigan St. 46222, both of Indianapolis, Ind.

Original application Mar. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 439,682, now Patent No. 3,309,890. Divided and this application Feb. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 616,211

Int. Cl. B65d 25/00, 17/00 US. Cl. 220-89 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A safety means for containers is provided by forming the wall of a can with weakness lines in a configuration which defines an area, the lines being of sloping or tapering depth. Thus, excess pressure will be safely vented in a controlled manner by a controlled yielding of that canarea.

This is a divisional case of the co-pending application by the same applicants, Ser. No. 439,682, filed Mar. 15, 1965, now Patent No. 3,309,890.

This invention relates to containers, and more particularly to disposable containers.

Although the invention is shown and described in conjunction with temperature-controlling containers which are economical enough as to be disposable, it is not supposed that these containers will be as inexpensive or in as general a use as disposable containers requiring auxiliary refrigeration or heating; rather, the utility and desirability of containers according to this invention are primarily for use-situations where substantially instant temperature change, or the lack of convenient auxiliary cooling or heating equipment, justifies their use. Thus, the containers are of particular advantage to sportsmen, travellers, armed forces personnel, and outdoor and other such uses.

With such containers, with means provided for selfchanging of temperature of the can-contents, the safety of controlled or relatively gradual venting of excess pressure is particularly desirable, although the inventive concepts are not limited to such a specialized container.

The above description is quite general and introductory; more specific details, components, and concepts of the overall invention appear in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying generally diagrammtaic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a disposable container according to an embodiment of the invention, providing selfcontained means providing for heating the contents;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1, taken generally along section-line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom detail view, taken generally as indicated by view-line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmental cross-sectional detail view, in enlarged scale, taken generally along section-line 44 of FIG. 1.

As shown in the drawings, the invention is illustrated in a device generally comprising a shell or casing having a top 12 and a bottom 13.

The casing 10 is provided, above the bottom 13, with a partition 16, defining between it and the can-top 12 an upper chamber 18 within which the can contents are placed; and between partition 16 and the bottom canpanel 13 there is a vertically-extending panel 20, defining spaced chambers 22 and 24 within which are contained substances having a thermal effect when permitted to come into operative contact, heating or cooling depending upon the substances or chemicals used.

3,452,898 Patented July 1, 1969 ice panel 13, and extending through an opening 31 of said lever. The lever 28, in the region of eyelet 30, is shown provided with a boss 32 which provides a fulcrum; and the end 34 of lever 28, opposite the lever-handle 36, is shown as curved inwardly of the can-bottom 13, passing through a hole 36 therein, to provide the point 26 which faces the partition 20. Sealing material 38 seals the hole 36 but permits the lever-portion 34 to move relative thereto.

' Thus, to fracture partition 70, the user grasps lever 28 by its handle 36, and pulls handle 36 away from the canpanel 13, rocking lever 28 about fulcrum 32, and causing lever-point 26 to pierce the partition 20. The resulting mixture of the substances of chambers 22 and 24, through the opening provided by the piercing of lever-point 26 through partition 20, provides the thermal change desired.

An insulating sleeve 40 is shown fitted around the casing 10.

According to concepts of the invention, the can-top panel 12 and can-bottom panel 13 are shown as provided with economical pressure-release means shown at 42 (FIG. 4). As shown, this comprises the can-panel being formed with scoring 44 which is in the form of a bight (here shown as V-shape) which provides a peninsular tab 46 of the can-panel; and the scoring cut is such that the apex of the bight is cut the most (48), the cut then shown as tapering gradually (50) toward the ends of the bight.

This scoring 42 provides a controlled venting of excess pressure; for the tapered scoring provides that the tab 46 will open gradually, the most-cut (weaker) protion 48 breaking open first, permitting some of the pressure to vent before the less-cut (stronger) portion 50 breaks open.

It is thus seen that a disposable container according to concepts of the present invention provides novel and advantageous concepts and features, providing a disposable container having means for changing the temperature of the contents thereof.

Accordingly, it will thus be seen from the foregoing description of the invention according to this illustrative embodiment, considered with the accompanying drawings, that the present invention provides a new and useful disposable container, having desired advantages and characteristics, and accomplishing its intended objects, including those hereinbefore pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention.

Modifications and variations may be effected Without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the invention; accordingly, the invention is not limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described or shown.

What is claimed is:

1 A pressure-release means for a container wall, comprising:

the provision of formed lines of wall-weakness in said wall, in a configuration which defines a tab-portion of the wall, the configuration and the weakness of the lines being such that excess pressure from within the container exerted outwardly against the wall will fracture a portion of said wall permitting a portion of said pressure to vent prior to opening a largerarea portion of said wall, thereby providing integrally with the container wall a safety-release by a controlled venting of excesss interior pressure, in a combination in which the bottom of the said lines of wall-weakness is sloped with respect to the gem eral plane of said wall to provide that the supporting portion of the said wall, between the said bottom of the said lines and the face of said wall opposite face thereof from which said line is formed, is thinner along a portion extending along a bight-port'ion of said line configuration, providing that pressure from within the container exerted outwardly against the portion of said wall in the region of said bight will fracture the said wall along said thinner Wall-portion prior to fracturing other portions of said line, and thereby providing that the said bight region will provide an initially-opening venting portion of said wall, venting some pressure from the can-interior prior to the pressure-caused fracturing of the line configuration of a subsequent region of said tab-portion, but providing also that relatively thicker portions of said line will subsequently be fractured, providing an increasingly larger venting-area in comparison to prioropening venting area.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which said lines of wall-weakness are formed by scoring said wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,292,826 12/1966 Abplanalp 22044 X 654,174 7/ 1900 Murmann.

2,029,329 4/ 1936 Ljungstrorn 22048 2,300,793 11/ 1942 Martin.

10 2,914,061 11/1959 Del Raso 3,039,644 6/1962 Lefcort 22020 3,213,932 10/1965 Gottfurcht 126-263 X 3,229,847 1/ 1966 Fox 22027 X 15 GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Primary Examiner.

Us. 01. X.R. 206-47; 220 27 

